Midnight Patrol
by WolfWinks
Summary: How was Ron meant to know that his midnight patrol one night would lead to him to knowing something he never wanted to know. Curiosity really does kill the cat.


I don't own anything

This was for the Year Long Scavenger Hunt which I created. Prompt number 7. _When you're curious, you find lots of interesting things to do_ Walt Disney. There is a link on my profile to the forum. Please join I'm going to try and read every story that is linked to the forum and I honestly can't wait to see what everyone comes up with.

Enjoy

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Curiosity killed the cat. Isn't that the saying? He should know, he has curiosity enough for ten people. How else would he get mixed up in all the crazy mayhem that has taken place at his school so far? To be fair his best friend is a notorious trouble maker and that same friend is hunted by some psycho serial killer but he knows for sure that he would not get into as much trouble if he kept his nose to himself. He was already getting into trouble by the time he was two, so he can't really blame Harry. This time though, this time he wished he had kept to himself.

Usually a patrol around the halls of Hogwarts was quiet. Being a prefect he was allowed out after curfew. Ron was still getting use to the responsibilities but he enjoyed the benefits. He would still send anyone he found out after curfew back to their common room with deducted points though. He didn't come across many people although to be honest he didn't really look all that hard. He didn't enjoy getting others into trouble, unlike Hermione who seemed to gain some great pleasure in punishing the rule breakers. He just wanted everything peaceful.

This evening was different somehow. There was an eerie stillness to the night, something was wrong. He tried to ignore it, thinking it was just his paranoia from the last great adventure of the golden trio. Honestly what were they thinking going off to the Department of Ministries by themselves? That little adventure had landed everyone, including himself, into the Hospital Wing for weeks, not to mention the death of Sirius.

Shaking his head Ron tried to move his thoughts to more pleasant topics. There was no point thinking about what could have been. It was over now and they would all learn. They would morn and grieve but they would move on. Except Harry can't. He hasn't been eating, everyone can tell. He is slowly deteriorating and Ron finally put his foot down today after dinner. After watching Harry refuse to consume any food he had dragged the younger boy back to the Hospital Wing and basically ordered Madam Pomfrey place him in a bed and not let him out until he starts to eat.

Ron couldn't help but feel a little hurt at the glare his best friend sent although he knew it was coming. Harry would forgive him, eventually. He just needed to pull himself out of the hole he was living in at the moment.

While Ron was lost in thought his feet had taken him the room where his best friend lay. Coming back to himself he realised that there was movement in front of him. _Was that blonde hair?_ The figure slipped into the Hospital Wing and Ron followed, having a bad feeling about all this. He went to push the door open but froze when he heard a voice. Not just any voice but his best friends.

"What are you doing here? Someone could see you!"

"You missed our date. What was I meant to do?" Ron almost fell over in shock when he heard the very familiar voice of Draco Malfoy himself. _What the hell?_

"Well that's not my fault; Ron basically locked me up in here after dinner. There was no date anyway; you just follow me whenever I go to the tower."

"With good reason too."

"I know" Ron hated to hear the defeat in his friends voice but he couldn't help wanting to know what reason Malfoy had for following Harry to the Tower, and why was Harry there anyway.

"So, which game tonight?" Ron heard a light laugh and then some shuffling around. At this point Ron wasn't listening. _What the bloody hell is going on? Since when are Harry and Malfoy all buddy-buddy?_ The more he thought about it the angrier he got. _What does that ferret want with my best friend?_

Ron walked away just to sink to the ground around the corner, just out of sight of the Hospital door. He sat there for hours fuming, getting angrier and angrier by the minute. Malfoy was obviously trying to get close to Harry, somehow using his weakness to get what he wants. How dare that blonde poof try to manipulate his best friend? Ron would not allow it.

He was startled out of his dark thoughts when he spotted the blonde hair belonging to Malfoy turning the corner. He froze upon seeing Ron on the ground.

Ron saw a chance to vent his anger and got up. "Malfoy, I have a question for you." He chose to stay calm, maybe it would freak the ferret out. No such luck.

"Okay, what?" There was no malice in his voice, no anger, no fear, no concern. There was no emotion in his voice at all, although, Ron did notice his hand twitch.

"What the _bloody hell_ are you doing visiting Harry? And since when have you two been friends?" He help no concern for his voice, completely forgetting his best friend was just around the corner and could probably hear him.

"That's two questions" Ron saw red. Without another thought he whipped out his wand, opening his mouth to shout the most vicious hex he knew. He finally saw some emotion in the ferret's face, shock, just before the words burst out of him. Unfortunately the spell collided with the blue shield Malfoy had conjured in time.

"Wait! Okay I'm sorry just hold on a moment. I'll explain everything" Ron was so shocked by the ferret's uncharacteristically flustered behaviour that his arm lost all its strength and dropped to his side.

"Well?" Ron said once Malfoy didn't start talking raising his wand hand again slightly.

"I don't know where to start okay? I never thought I would be having this conversation with you Weasley and I don't think Harry would appreciate me telling you this either."

Ron didn't respond instead choosing to raise his hand a little higher. " _Okay_. I found Harry on the astronomy tower about two weeks ago. He was upset. I know about his godfather's death, Father did not hide his glee about that in his letters."

Ron was surprised to detect some bitterness when Malfoy spoke about his father. "I watched him for a while, until he started to stand. I knew he wouldn't appreciate my presence so, thinking he was heading back down the stairs I retreated into a dark corner so he couldn't see me. He didn't turn around. Instead he leaned over the edge, just looking but it made me nervous, actually it down right scared me so I slowly approached him from behind. He must have heard me because he spun around so fast he slipped. Look long story short I prevented a head injury on his part, and since then we've been talking every night. Just stupid stuff, nothing deep and meaningful and it took a while for even that. I brought up cards one day and since then we play a game while we talk." Ron stood there stunned. He couldn't believe the words he was being fed.

"Do you expect me to believe that you are trying to help Harry heal without anything to gain on your part?" A slight blush rose on the blondes face and Ron knew he had him. He knew there was some sort of manipulation involved, some dark motive.

"No, and there is something in it for me but it's not what you think" A familiar sneer appeared on Malfoy's face and the blush disappeared.

"Well then what the hell is the reason because if you're planning to hurt him I swear to Merlin I won't hesitate to kill you."

"I love him!" Malfoy looked horrified by his admittance but Ron couldn't enjoy the break in the Malfoy mask because he was trying to process those words.

"You... wait what? You love him?" Malfoy closed his eyes in despair, or was it annoyance?

"Yes, I love him. I think I always have, but he doesn't love me, he couldn't" Ron was speechless. Malfoy looked so defeated, so hopeless. How does one respond to something like that?

"Oh" Inwardly wincing at his ineloquent reply he was surprised to see amusement in Malfoy's eyes instead of what was usually seen

"I would never hurt him; I just want him to be happy and safe, if I get some time alone with him in the process then all the better for me." Malfoy looked down at his toes for a moment in a brief show of discomfort and then he brought his Malfoy mask back up. "You can go check on him if you want. He was asleep when I left" With those words Malfoy turned around and started to leave.

Ron was no longer paying attention to the retreating wizard though because he had just realised that his loudly spoken words would have most defiantly woken his best friend up. That is until he heard a call coming from down the hall. "I placed a silencing charm over us so he should still be asleep." With that the blonde was gone.

Ron found himself next to his best friend's bed. The younger boy was sleeping peacefully for once, a slight upward tilt to his lips that wasn't quite a smile. Ron got lost in thought over the events of the night. _Malfoy loves Harry. Malfoy and Harry are friends or at least acquaintances. What am I going to do?_ The last thought was his biggest issue. He could inform Harry of Malfoy's feelings and possibly ruin a friendship that seems to be helping his best friend heal or he could not tell him and risk the lost of trust between himself and Harry. Of course the thought of those feelings being returned never even crossed his mind. Eventually Ron decided to wait until at least Harry was out of the Hospital Wing. He would give it some thought.

Harry was free in two days. Ron still didn't know what to do and continued to put of making a decision. Eventually he realised there was no point informing Harry. The younger boy had enough on his plate and Ron didn't need to add any more stress. On top of that Harry was starting to heal. His depression was still there, he still wasn't eating much, but he was eating. He continued to get better as the days went on. Ron decided to keep Malfoy's feelings to himself. He wouldn't lie if Harry or anyone else for that matter asked but he wouldn't bring it up. Who knew a night time patrol would mean he would keep an enemy's secret from his best friend. Curiosity really does kill the cat.

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 **A.N:** This was not how this story was going to go but I like how it turned out. Let me know what you thought

WolfWinks -xx-


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